B. J. Vorster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
B. J. Vorster
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| 4th State President of South Africa | |
| In office 10 October 1978 – 4 June 1979 |
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| Prime Minister | P. W. Botha |
| Preceded by | Marais Viljoen (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Marais Viljoen |
| 7th Prime Minister of South Africa | |
| In office 13 September 1966 – 2 October 1978 |
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| President | Charles Robberts Swart Tom Naudé (Acting) Jacobus Johannes Fouché Nicolaas Johannes Diederichs Marais Viljoen (Acting) |
| Preceded by | Theophilus Dönges |
| Succeeded by | P. W. Botha |
| Minister of Police | |
| In office 1 April 1966 – 9 August 1968 |
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| Prime Minister | Hendrik Verwoerd Himself |
| Preceded by | Office established Himself as Minister of Justice |
| Succeeded by | Lourens Muller |
| Minister of Justice | |
| In office 8 October 1961 – 14 September 1966 |
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| Prime Minister | Hendrik Verwoerd |
| Preceded by | Frans Erasmus |
| Succeeded by | Petrus Cornelius Pelser |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Balthazar Johannes Vorster
13 December 1915 Jamestown, Cape Province, Union of South Africa |
| Died | 10 September 1983 (aged 67) Cape Town, Cape Province, Republic of South Africa |
| Political party | National Party |
| Spouse |
Tini Malan
(m. 1941) |
| Children | Elizabeth (Elsa) Vorster Willem Carel Vorster Pieter Andries Vorster |
| Alma mater | University of Stellenbosch |
Balthazar Johannes "B. J." Vorster (also known as John Vorster; born 13 December 1915 – died 10 September 1983) was a South African politician. He served as the prime minister of South Africa from 1966 to 1978. Later, he became the fourth state president of South Africa from 1978 to 1979. He was known as B. J. Vorster for most of his career. In the 1970s, he started to prefer the English name John.
Vorster strongly supported the policy of apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a system of laws that separated people based on their race. It gave white people more rights and opportunities than black, coloured, and Indian people. As Minister of Justice, he oversaw the Rivonia Trial. In this trial, Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment. As Prime Minister, he oversaw the Terrorism Act. He also oversaw the removal of non-white people from political representation. Important events during his time include the Soweto Riots and the death of Steve Biko.
Vorster tried to improve South Africa's relationships with other countries. He especially wanted better ties with neighbouring African nations. This was important after the Portuguese colonial empire broke up in 1975. After the 1978 Internal Settlement in Rhodesia, he was involved in the Muldergate Scandal. This led to his resignation as Prime Minister. He then became the State President, but was forced to resign from that role eight months later.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Vorster was born in 1915 in Jamestown, Cape Province. He was the fifteenth child of Willem Carel Vorster, a successful sheep farmer. His mother was Elizabeth Sophia Vorster. He went to primary school in Jamestown.
Vorster later studied law at Stellenbosch University. This university was known for shaping Afrikaner nationalism. Many South African prime ministers studied there. Vorster was active in student politics. He became the chairman of the debating society. He was also the deputy chairman of the student council. He led the junior National Party at the university.
In 1938, Vorster became a clerk for a judge in the Supreme Court of South Africa. He soon left this job. He opened his own law practice in Port Elizabeth. Later, he opened another one in Brakpan.
Political Journey
Opposing World War II
From 1939, Vorster became known for his strong opposition to South Africa joining the World War II. South Africa joined the Allies, which included the United Kingdom. Many Afrikaner Nationalists felt anti-British. They hoped Germany would win the war.
Vorster joined the Ossewabrandwag (Ox-wagon Sentinel). This group was anti-British. It was formed in 1938 to celebrate the Great Trek. The Ossewabrandwag carried out acts of sabotage during World War II. They wanted to limit South Africa's war efforts. Vorster said he did not take part in these acts. He stated he was anti-British, not pro-Nazi. He was held in a detention camp in 1942 for his anti-British actions. He was released in 1944.
After his release, Vorster became active in the National Party. This party began to put the policy of apartheid into action in 1948. While racial separation had always existed, the National Party made it law.
Joining Parliament
In 1953, Vorster was elected to the House of Assembly. He represented the Nigel area in the Transvaal. In 1958, he became a Deputy Minister. He was a MP during the time of prime ministers D.F. Malan, J.G. Strijdom, and Hendrik Verwoerd. Some people criticised him for his past anti-British activities. Vorster responded by saying he now believed in the parliamentary system.
In 1961, Prime Minister Verwoerd appointed Vorster as Minister of Justice. Verwoerd was a strong supporter of Vorster. In 1966, Vorster also became Minister of Police and Prisons.
Becoming Prime Minister
After Verwoerd's death in 1966, Vorster was chosen as the new Prime Minister. He continued to put apartheid laws into effect. This included removing the last four parliamentary seats reserved for white representatives of Coloured voters in 1968. This was fully done by 1970.
However, Vorster also made some changes. He allowed multi-racial sports teams. This was so South Africa could compete in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico. But many African nations protested. The Olympic committee did not allow South Africa's team to compete.
People saw Vorster as more approachable than Verwoerd. Progressive MP Helen Suzman described him as "flesh and blood." His supporters liked his unique personality. He sometimes briefed the opposition in his private office. He also allowed pictures of himself in unusual situations. He welcomed foreigners, calling South Africa "the happiest police state in the world." This new approach was called "billikheid," meaning "sweet reasonableness." He upset some extreme members of his party. This happened when he allowed Māori players and spectators during the New Zealand national rugby union team tour in 1970.
Foreign Policy and Rhodesia
Vorster was more practical in his foreign policy. He improved relations with other African nations. For example, he allowed Black African diplomats to live in white areas in South Africa. He supported the neighbouring state of Rhodesia unofficially. Rhodesia's white minority government had declared independence from the UK in 1965. Vorster supported Rhodesia publicly because of white public opinion in South Africa. But he did not officially recognise Rhodesia. He did not want to upset important allies like the United States.
In 1975, Portuguese rule ended in Angola and Mozambique. This left South Africa and Rhodesia as the only countries with white minority rule in Africa. Vorster knew that white rule could not last forever where black people outnumbered whites.
In September 1976, he was pressured by US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Vorster then pushed Ian Smith, the Rhodesian Prime Minister, to accept that white minority rule must end. Smith and black nationalist leaders signed the Internal Settlement in March 1978. In June 1979, after multiracial elections, Rhodesia became Zimbabwe Rhodesia. This new state was also not recognised by other countries.
State President and Later Life
Vorster resigned as Prime Minister in 1978. He had served for twelve years. P. W. Botha took over as Prime Minister. Botha was a hardliner, but he started some small changes to the apartheid system.
After resigning as Prime Minister, Vorster was elected to the largely honorary position of State President. However, his time in this role was short. He was involved in the Muldergate Scandal. This scandal was named after Dr Connie Mulder, a cabinet minister. It involved using secret government money to start The Citizen. This was an English newspaper that supported the National Party. An investigation in 1979 found that Vorster "knew everything" about the corruption. He resigned from the state presidency in disgrace. In 1982, John Vorster supported the Conservative Party. He died in 1983, at the age of 67.
Vorster's Legacy
The Stellenbosch University used the Group Areas Act to take land from coloured residents in central Stellenbosch. They built a building there and named it after B.J. Vorster. He was a former student and chancellor of the university. The building was renamed in the 1990s.
The Johannesburg Central Police Station was once called John Vorster Square. It was the main office for South Africa's Special Branch during the apartheid era.
Depiction on Coins
John Vorster's image appears on the front of these coins of the South African rand:
- 1982 1/2 Cent to 1 Rand.
Images for kids
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A robot for kids.
See also
In Spanish: B. J. Vorster para niños
